Baker keeps door open for Twins, says sides have made progress toward new deal

Scott Baker said he had a good conversation with Twins General Manager Terry Ryan today, when Ryan called with news that the team was declining Baker's $9.25 million option for 2013.

"I think we’ve kind of known it wasn’t going to get picked up," Baker said. "He was very nice letting me know they’d like to have me back."

Baker is now a free agent and will be able to receive offers from other teams by Friday night. But the Twins are still very much in the running to re-sign him.

"We’re talking, and obviously I think there’s a mutual feeling that I want to be back, and they want me back," Baker said. "But it has to make sense for both parties, and we’re just not there yet.

"There’s a lot to consider. I’ll just say, we’re not close, but we’re definitely closer than when it started. I’m by no means discouraged by anything that’s gone on so far. But at the same time, there are great teams and other possibilities out there."

General Manager Terry Ryan described Monday's decision on the option "a paper move."

"I don’t think anybody expected us to pick up that option," Ryan said. "We certainly have the ability to talk to Scott and his agent right through the period. So whether we do today, tomorrow or the next day, we have the ability to."

Phil Miller covered three seasons of Twins baseball, but that was at a different ballpark for a different newspaper. Now Miller returns to the baseball beat after joining the Star Tribune as the Gopher football writer in 2010, and he won't miss the dingy dome for a minute. In addition to the Twins and Gophers, Miller covered the Utah Jazz and the NBA for six years at The Salt Lake Tribune.